Reconciliation
by MLEther
Summary: Two-part one-shot (two-shot?) from tumblr: Set right after 3B, Regina is locked up in her house and wont see anyone. Emma tries to contact her, but after failing she magics herself into the mansion where she finds a drunken hot mess Regina in the bathtub. Emma cares for her, tucks her in, and cuddles happen.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: After I posted this on tumblr, an Anon asked me to do a part two- so this is going to be a two-parter. Here's the first installment, enjoy!**

**Also, feel free to hit me up with prompts on tumblr at mlether1**

"Regina?" Emma calls from outside the mansion, "Regina, please answer," she whispers to herself as she continues to knock with one hand while pulling her phone out with the other. She calls the brunette's number, but it goes straight to voicemail. "Regina, please?" says the brunette as she presses her face to the door. Nothing.

She turns on her heel and walks down the path. Halfway down she turns around and looks back at the house for some sign of life, but it remains silent.

The next morning, Emma walks into Granny's for her morning coffee, but suddenly finds herself ill as she sees Robin, Marion, and Roland in a booth happily sharing breakfast. Suddenly feeling her appetite gone, she turns around and starts to walk out the diner when a hand gently grabs her elbow turning her around.

"Emma,"

"Hey, Robin," she says through a forced smile.

"I was wondering if you've uh," he turns around to briefly glance at his wife and son before turning back to the blonde, "I'm wondering if you've heard from Regina. I haven't heard anything since, you know, what happened last night,"

"No, I haven't heard from her,"

"I've been calling her, but she isn't answering,"

"Yeah," said the blonde digging her hands into her pockets.

"Well, let me know if you hear anything, okay?" he says with a small smile before walking back to the booth.

"Yeah…" sighs Emma, "… sure," she whispered as she spun around and walked out the door. She felt happy about reuniting a family, but her insides clenched and twisted as she remembered Regina's face the night before.

Before she knew it, the blonde found herself once again standing outside of 108 Mifflin. Her fist hovered over the door for a moment… what would Regina even do if she saw her? What would she say?

The guilt bubbled up in her stomach and slowly began to creep up her body, and into her knuckles which suddenly found themselves pounding against the door of the mansion.

No answer.

She knocks again.

No answer.

Whipping out her phone she calls Regina a few times only to have it go to voicemail.

_Something's wrong_, she thinks as she begins to move around the house- peeking in the windows.

The house is dark and quiet. _Maybe Regina isn't even home_, she thinks.

That night, Emma found she couldn't sleep at all. Looking over at the clock she saw it was just barely five in the morning. _It's too early to call_, she thinks, _even for Regina. I'll just wait a couple hours_.

She sat fully dressed on the edge of her bed watching the clock. Right when the digital numbers switched to 7:00, she pressed "call" on her phone. Tapping her knee anxiously she listened to the phone ring twice before going straight to voicemail. She tried a couple more times to reach Regina, to no avail. She pushed off the bed and drove to the mansion.

Sitting in her car, she looked up at the mansion. What once appeared to her as large and daunting, had suddenly grown small and cold like a tomb. _Maybe she's not even here_, she thinks to herself as her eyes scan the building. _No, she wouldn't leave- Henry's here…wait, Henry_.

Whipping out her phone she quickly calls her son.

"Henry?"

"Mo…mom?" comes a groggy voice over the phone.

"Sorry, kid, I know it's early,"

"Are-are you okay?"

"Fine, yeah. I was just wondering if you've heard from your mom since, uh… you know," she says as she taps her finger on her steering wheel, her eyes still plastered on the mansion searching for any sign of movement.

"No, I haven't. Is she okay? Did something else happen?"

"No, no… don't worry about it. I'm just going to check on her, go back to sleep, kid. Everything will be fine," she ended the call before she could hear his response. If Regina hadn't even contacted Henry in the last couple days, then something must really, really be wrong.

She ran up the path onto the porch and began knocking heavily on the door.

"Regina!" she screamed to the door, "Regina are you in there?!"

No answer.

She jiggled the door handle to find it locked and began moving around the house checking the windows and the back door. All locked. With a deep breath she concentrated heavily on visualizing herself in Regina's foyer. Picturing every minute detail and expressing her wish to be there, with a sudden churning over her stomach and a whirl of smoke- she found herself exactly where she wanted to be.

Her sigh of relief was cut from her throat as she looked around the foyer. The normally pristine mansion was in absolute ruin. Chunks of furniture, splintered wood, broken porcelain, and shards of glass covered the floor in violent streaks. Bile rose in her throat as she followed the damage into Regina's living room.

Her jaw dropped as she saw the upside down furniture that looked like it had been sliced with a knife. Shredded papers covered the room, followed with more broken glass. Every cabinet door had been flung ajar, its contents in shattered remains around the kitchen and living room.

Then she saw it: a faint glistening of red on the edge of a shard of glass by her feet.

_Oh my god, Regina_

She ran up the stairs following little trickles of blood as she burst into Regina's bedroom. It was in the same state as the rest of her house, but at this point- Emma didn't care about the ripped up and tossed clothes, her eyes were cast downwards for the tiny sprinkles of blood that she prayed to the gods didn't end in what she thought. Picking up the trail, she followed it to the bathroom door where her breath was stolen from her lungs.

Holding her trembling hand against the door, she feared what she would find on the other side. Gently, her fingers press into the door- the slow creak of the hinges echoing in the bathroom.

"Oh, Regina…" she whispers as she feels tears brim her eyes.

Before her is the shards of the top half of a bottle of whiskey, the rest of it completely drained in the clenched hand of a huddled figure in the bathtub.

"I couldn't get it open," mutters the brunette without looking up. She held the shaking hand grasping the bottle up and Emma saw the large gash in her finger, the source of the blood she had seen downstairs.

The blonde had never been more happy to be wrong in her life. With a small sigh she side-stepped the glass and knelt next to the bathtub- the huddled brunette still refusing to acknowledge her presence.

She reached out her hand, placing it over Regina's trembling fist. With her other hand, she slowly gripped the empty bottle of whiskey, slowly peeling it from the brunette's grasp.

Regina's head whipped around. Emma's heart clenched in her chest as she saw the black smudges of mascara smeared down the brunette's cheeks. Her eyes were swollen and red, the brown color of her eyes polished into a fine black as her gaze tore into Emma's.

"What are _you_ doing here?" she hissed. Emma's nose crinkled as she smelled the scent of stale whiskey on Regina's breath, the brunette's eyes seemed to slip in and out of focus.

"I came to see if you are okay," said the blonde firmly. She gently pressed her hand between Regina's shoulder blades causing the brunette to suddenly jerk.

"_Get out of here!"_ she said, her voice seething with rage, causing Emma to fall backwards onto her back. Regina reached for a bar of soap and threw it at the blonde. "_You have no right to be here!"_ she reached for everything in her reach and began to throw it at Emma who blocked the onslaught of soaps, creams, and containers with her arms.

The brunette attempted to stand, not even being phased that she was completely naked, but fell violently back into the tub, splashing water everywhere. Emma jerked up from the ground, latching her hands onto Regina's shoulders, pulling her out of the water.

The brunette hunched over coughing up the water while Emma gently patted her back.

"You ruin everything," sputtered Regina, as she stared at her bleeding finger under the water.

"I know," said Emma calmly as she surveyed the brunette with watery eyes.

Gazing at Regina's wounded finger, the blonde saw her guilt reflected in the blood, she saw her guilt in the mascara smeared across the brunette's normally immaculate face, she saw it in the way Regina clutched at her sides, the way she hunched and shuttered.

"Regina I…" she began, as she choked on her tears, "I am so, so sorry. I really don't know how to apologize for something like this, but I know that I hurt you. It's something I can't take back, but please let me try to fix it," she looked at the brunette whose eyes had closed.

After a few moments of silence, Regina lifted her injured hand onto the side of the bathtub.

"Help me?" she said. Her voice small and quiet. Emma nodded and immediately moved to a cupboard to find the first aid kit. Holding Regina's finger in her hand, she cleaned the wound and began dressing it. She had never been this close to Regina, and as her rough hands ran across the soft fingers of the brunette, Emma felt as if she could almost sense all of Regina's history written across her palms.

Reaching behind her, Emma picked up the bottle of shampoo that had almost hit her across the head a couple minutes prior. Finding a cup, Emma gathered some bath water and poured it across Regina's dark hair. Gently she began running her shampoo-covered fingers through the brunette's soft locks.

Regina's neck relaxed and her head started pushing into Emma's fingers as a tiny moan issued from her lips. Emma allowed herself a brief, mournful smile before rinsing the shampoo out and reaching for the conditioner. A tiny hand reached out and gripped her wrist.

"Two washes with the shampoo, Ms. Swan," muttered Regina.

Emma smiled softly at the tiny glimmer of the old Regina and did as she said.

After the brunette was all cleaned up, Emma found a pair of silk pajamas and slowly helped Regina into them. Gently she laid the brunette out on her bed and quickly fetched a bucket and a glass of water, placing both by the bed.

Emma smiled sadly as she watched the brunette huddle tightly into the blankets and clutch a pillow to her body. _She's obviously lonely_, she thought.

Sitting back, Emma double checked everything making sure Regina was set for the night. She bent down by the bed, placing her hands on the side.

"There's a bucket here if you need it, and a glass of water, I'll call you in the morning- don't hesitate to call me if you need anything," she whispered. As she slowly stood up, there came another small grasp at her wrist. She looked down to find Regina looking up at her with pleading eyes.

"Please," she said quietly, "please… stay," she whispered. Emma looked at her in confusion. Did she just hear correctly? But before she knew it, her head was slowly nodding. Regina held the covers up, indicating to the blonde that she should join her.

Emma's eyebrows shot to her hairline, but the brunette wasn't looking at her anymore. Her eyes were closed, but her arm remained upwards, propping the comforter up.

The blonde kicked off her boots and jacket, and slowly climbed into the bed next to the brunette, though a respectful couple feet away from her.

Regina slowly scooted backwards on the bed until her back pressed against Emma's front, and without a second thought, Emma wrapped her right arm across Regina's body.

Nothing ever felt so right.

Regina sighed, and a few moments later her breath became steady as she drifted to sleep.

Emma finally relaxed and let out a long breath before burying her face into Regina's damp hair- relishing the peppermint smell of her shampoo.

She didn't know what would come the next day, but she knew more than anything she's ever known- that right here and now, she was blissfully happy.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Aight, friends… here's part 2. Hope you enjoy it. **

**Feel free to hit me up on Tumblr: MLEther1**

Regina was woken up by a steady throbbing echoing around her skull. Slowly she opened her eyes, wincing at the bright stream of light shining through her bedroom window. Looking over at the clock, she moaned and pulled a pillow over her face. Hidden under her pillow, she began to put together the pieces of the last day. The last thing she remembered was going on a drinking bender that apparently lasted a full twenty-four hours.

As she breathed deeply, trying to quell the pain in her head, she remembered something peculiar. She remembered having the strangest dream about Emma Swan. They had been tangled in the sheets of her bed together, sleeping soundly. Regina snarled outwardly in disgust, ignoring the little voice in her head reminding her how warm and comforting it had felt.

Pulling the pillow from her face, she slowly sat up and looked around her bedroom and took note of the torn clothes scattered everywhere. Then she remembered the rest of the house being in a worse state than her bedroom. She heaved a deep sigh and tore herself away from the comforters. She had allowed herself those few days of selfish indulgence, but today she was going to clean up and spend the day with the one person who still cared for her: Henry.

Feeling a pang of guilt for the neglect of her son over the last few days, Regina stretched her sore body and began thinking of ways to make it up to him when she felt a small stinging on her finger. She looked down to see it wrapped in gauze. The former queen scolded herself for being so reckless, but also praised herself for being of sound enough mind to mend it in the middle of a drunken stupor.

Pulling a less-tattered robe off the mirror on her vanity, she wrapped the silk fabric around her groggy body and began the journey downstairs to procure coffee. Halfway down the stairs she paused thinking she heard a noise. Just before her foot hit the next step, she heard it again. Feeling her magic spring on edge, she cautiously made her way down the stairs and into the foyer.

Turning the corner and walking into the living room, her eyes shot to her hairline as she saw Emma Swan dumping a load of broken glass into a large trash bag. Four other black trash bags full to the brim with debris were behind her, a small sheen of sweat coating her forehead as she labored.

"What are you doing here?" hissed Regina half shocked and half furious.

"I made coffee," replied the blonde nonchalantly as she continued to collect fragments of broken furniture.

"And what exactly has possessed you to the point in which you believe it right for you to break into my home?" interrogated the brunette.

"You don't remember?" said the blonde glancing up, a look of disappoint flashing across her eyes.

"No," responded Regina curtly folding her arms across her chest.

"Well, I was worried about you because Henry and I haven't heard from you, and I was worried that something happened, so I came in and found you bleeding- so I decided to make sure you were okay," explained the blonde, though Regina felt there was more to the story.

The brunette pursed her lips trying to remember Emma helping her the night before, though nothing came up. But now that she thinks about it, she _does_ remember Emma being with her at one point, though at the moment she couldn't remember exactly when.

"Well as you can see, I'm fine, now you can leave," replied Regina.

"I have to clean up first," said the blonde gesturing to the ruined room.

Regina rolled her eyes and with a wave of her hand, the room slowly restored itself. Broken glasses and mirrors melded back together, broken furniture reshaped itself, tears in cushions and pillows slowly disappeared until the room was back to its normal pristine condition.

"All done. Now leave," said the brunette shortly.

"No," replied Emma leaning the broom against a newly mended table.

"Excuse me?" said a baffled Regina.

"You can't hide from me, Regina. I saw you last night. You're not okay and it's all my fault," admitted the blonde.

"And what makes you think you should be here? What makes you think I _want_ you here?"

"You did last night," mumbled the blonde.

"What I said while heavily intoxicated is irrelevant."

"Drunken words are sober thoughts, Regina," quipped Emma causing Regina to roll her eyes again.

"And what grimy truck stop bathroom stall did you read that on, Ms. Swan?"

"Don't try to change the subject," stated the blonde- her tone growing stern, "No matter what you say, you're _not_ fine. It's all my fault and neither of us are leaving this house until we fix this. Now sit down and drink your damn coffee," Emma said as she slammed a mug of coffee on the counter in front of Regina.

Taken aback by the forcefulness of Emma's tone, the brunette sat down at the counter and accepted the coffee, feeling too weary to argue any further. She doubted that Emma could say anything that would possibly appeal to her right now, so Regina decided to let the self-righteous blonde get her little mission over with so she could send her on her way.

As Emma stood on the other side of the counter facing Regina, she couldn't help but look behind her guarded brown eyes and see the crumpled figure she had found in the bathroom the day before.

"Well?" said Regina curtly. Emma gulped nervously and suddenly felt the temperature in the room rise. As she cleaned all morning, she had time to plan out her apology, but now that she faced Regina's hurt-filled eyes- everything she had planned flew out the window.

"I uh… I…." the blonde stuttered. Her mind raced with things to say, but she couldn't seem to form the words, her frustration grew further impeding her efforts to form an adequate apology, "Look, I just… um…. I…"

"Right," said Regina plainly, "If you have nothing to say, then I think we're done here," the brunette pushed away from the counter and began to walk away.

As Emma watched her go, a sudden feeling of dread shot through her body. She didn't want to see Regina walking away from her, not when she had so much she needed to say and… not _ever_, in fact. Without a second thought, Emma flew forward, grasping Regina's wrist spinning her around.

The brunette tried to pull back, but Emma grabbed her other hand.

"Ms. Swan, what do you think you're…" but her sentence was cut off as she looked up to see Emma's bright green eyes piercing her with an immeasurable amount of determination.

"Regina we've known each other for years now," began Emma- her eyes never leaving Regina's, the brunette's hands firmly clasped in her own, "We've argued, we've fought, we've worked together, and even come close to being friends. We even share a son together. We've both seen and experienced things well beyond our abilities to handle, we've both been thrust into titles and situations that neither of us wanted," Emma had no idea where these words were coming from, but she found that the thought of losing Regina loosened the chains that bound her guarded heart.

Regina listened with wide, disbelieving eyes- still uncertain as to where the blonde was taking this, but she spoke with such force she couldn't help but be intrigued.

"I've come to realize that we are both just two women trying to make _something_ in our fucked up lives right. And I have to admit, you're doing much better at it than I am," the blonde gave a nervous laugh, "I fucked up, Regina," tears welled in her green eyes, "I fucked up big time and I don't know how I can even begin to fix it. These last few years… as much as you've aggravated me, I've come to truly respect you," Regina cocked an eyebrow, "I admire what an amazing mother you are, I admire your intelligence, your self control, your determination, your selflessness, your strength," Emma sniffed, tears now strained her cheeks- but her gaze remained unwavering as her eyes held Regina's.

The brunette felt her own tears well in her eyes. As she looked at Emma, she could see the sincerity pouring from every word, her genuine feelings dripping from her eyes- the blonde was reaching out to her, confessing to her.

"You're my hero, Regina- and I fucked everything up for you and I am so, _so_ sorry," at this Emma's gaze fell to the floor. Her silent tears turned to shuddering sobs as she dropped Regina's hands and brought her own up to hide her face. She couldn't bring herself to look into the eyes of the woman she had injured.

Emma began to move towards the door, feeling too embarrassed and guilty to even be in the same room as the former queen. Just as her hand touched the door knob, a gently hand placed itself over her own. She turned to see a tear-stained Regina standing in front of her.

"Emma," whispered the brunette pulling the blonde in and wrapping her arms around her. The weight of the scene pushed both women to sit on the stairs. Emma clenched to Regina, sobbing into her shoulder as the brunette held her firmly.

"R-regina, I'm…. so… sorry," sobbed the blonde- her body practically quaking from her tears.

The brunette tilted Emma's chin upwards to look her in the eyes. With a small smile and barely a second of thought, Regina pressed her lips to Emma's. Pressing into her not only her acceptance of the blonde's apology, but forgiveness and understanding.

Emma returned the kiss and filled it with such sweet longing as she wove her hands into Regina's hair.

They pulled apart and rested their foreheads together.

"I love you, Regina," breathed Emma.

"I know," replied the brunette as she pulled the Savior into a warm embrace.


End file.
